OPUS Mag

May 24 The Future Of Karl Anthony-Towns

Last week Karl Anthony Towns was named the NBA's unanimous Rookie of the Year. I know people haven't paid attention to the Timberwolves this year but this kid straight outta University of Kentucky can ball, and not to mention he's just 20 years of age. Ending his rookie NBA season with 18.3 PTS, 10.5 REB, and 2 AST, that's great for a rookie, KAT also finished #1 in the Skills Challenge during All Star Weekend, who would've thought right? With the center position and listed as 7ft, would you think he plays like your typical center? No, Towns is more like power forward, he can play defense, rebound, has a nice midrange jump shot, post move and even shoots the 3 time to time, he's the real deal. The comparisons for Towns hasn't been too fire yet but some have said we haven't seen a rookie like Towns since Duncan, Garnett or even LeBron, to be honest that's not fair because the kid still has a lot of growth and development to add to his game, on and off the court. KAT also as a center makes me question as before is the big men becoming a dying breed in the NBA, imo I don't think it is, I just think it's the rise of the guards right now, but Towns can certainly change that soon.

The rookie of the year competition featured players like Jahil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell, Kristaps Porzingis, Myles Turner, Devan Booker and Justise Winslow, Porzingis had a great surprising season for the Knicks and he looks like the big man they need right now, Okafor doesn't want to be in Philly for some reason, he had some good games this season but he's had problems off the court and we all seen the look on his face when he was drafted last summer, the Lakers organization was out of their damn minds to bypass him. Speaking of Lakers, D'Angelo Russell had his moments as a Laker late this season, including be a part-time FBI agent throwing his teammate Nick Young under the bus (sounds familiar right?), and Myles Turner could have a future in Indiana if they surround him and Paul George with a couple of pieces.

So what is the future of KAT? Right now it's looking very promising, NBA fans could really see a potential rivalry between KAT vs. Anthony Davis and KAT vs Porzingis, if the kid stays on his game and develops more he could become a top 10-15 player in the NBA, is that a stretch, I don't think so, I've watched several of Timberwolves games this year just to see Towns play, and with the addition of Tom Thibodeau now the head coach and team president, the Timberwolves could be one of the sleeper teams in the Western Conference. With teammates like Zach Lavine, and the 2015 ROTY Andrew Wiggins, if Thibs can make a couple moves in the off-season while keeping these 3 players, the Wolves are going to be fun to watch if they weren't already. All Towns has to do now is stay on his game on and off the court and work his way up to becoming one of the best big men in the league, especially with Kevin Garnett as a mentor on the Timberwolves bench, that's a huge piece for help for KAT physically and mentally, can you also picture Towns getting some advice and working out with Tim Duncan & Hakeem Olajuwon this summer? That would be serious.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Rich Paul snatches this kid up for Klutch Sports Management, plays a part of him receiving max money in the future and even signing a deal with Nike, the kid is that legit so that wouldn't be farfetched, I want to see it happen. If you don't think Towns has a future in the NBA then watch his offensive and defensive highlights on YouTube if you're not familiar, you will change your mind.

Mychael Davis is a writer coming out of Ohio who is here to talk entertainment; mostly film. Occasionally he will touch on sports mixed with a little bit of jokes on the side. When he's not working and has free time, Mychael passes time watching & playing basketball, training for boxing but his true passion is writing. He frequently watches TV/movies, studying key elements from film, coming up with new ideas, concept stories, and constantly writing hoping to create for future projects. With a weird yet extraordinary combination of inspiration from music artists and Hollywood like Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Michael Jackson to Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Martin Scorsese and more, it's obvious Mychael will not settle for good and will surpass great.

Mychael Davis is a writer coming out of Ohio who is here to talk entertainment; mostly film. Occasionally he will touch on sports mixed with a little bit of jokes on the side. When he's not working and has free time, Mychael passes time watching & playing basketball, training for boxing but his true passion is writing. He frequently watches TV/movies, studying key elements from film, coming up with new ideas, concept stories, and constantly writing hoping to create for future projects. With a weird yet extraordinary combination of inspiration from music artists and Hollywood like Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Michael Jackson to Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Martin Scorsese and more, it's obvious Mychael will not settle for good and will surpass great.

Coeur Noir is an autofiction novel written by Al Patron. The title is Haitian Creole for black heart or heart of black, in reference to the traits of the main protagonist, Nikolas Daniel...who may or may not be based on Al Patron himself. A coming of age novel Coeur Noir will evoke emotional reactions ranging from but not limited to crying & laughter, all while detailing a path to greatness for Al Pa...pardon...Nikolas Daniel.